The Midnight Chain
by Hellion5Angel4
Summary: Savannah, Georgia. A city with a past. Ghosts roam the buildings and cemeteries of this beloved old city. Ariana is a 29 year old girl with a paranormal streak. She has her own group, DeBunked, who go and investigate hauntings in Savannah. A phone call from a well known ghost hunter will take her places she's never been. And she will see darker things than ever before.
1. Chapter 1

**Okie dokie. So you know me :D I'm writing this story about Zak Bagans. It will have some of Nick and Aaron, but this will mainly be a Zak / OC. I do not own anyone or anything in savannah, i do not own zak bagans, aaron, nick, or anything affiliated with the name GAC, nor do I own anything from the X-Files. This is a work of pure fiction..and from my head. The only thing I own is Ariana. **

**I hope you like it...and if not..message me and tell me what I can do differently. :D Love you guys!**

Sweltering heat couldn't be contained nor soothed by an air conditioner in mid July in Savannah, Georgia. Hot was hot no matter what you did. The windows were open, inviting any breeze that would come by. She typed furiously on her work computer, trying to finish before her deadline. Ariana Samaras was 29 years old. She had brown hair to her shoulder, green eyes, and a smile and body to drive any man crazy. She thought she had found a good man in Keith Richards. Keith and Ariana had decided to get a couple of friends together and they started exploring graveyards at night. And so, DeBunked was born.

They had explored several different locations in the surrounding Savannah area, finding that some complaints were just neighbors or old piped in the ancient houses. But on a few cases, there was extreme proof of paranormal entities. She sighed and pulled her hair back off of her neck, pinning it up with a clip. She reached into her empty cup of tea from lunch and retrieved an ice cube. As she ran the cold block over her neck, one of her phones began to ring. She knew it was the DeBunked phone when she heard the X-Files theme song. She pulled the phone from her purse and slid her thumb on the answer button. 'Hello, this is Ariana Samaras of DeBunked. How can I help you?" She tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder as she returned to the computer. "Hi. My name is Zak Bagans. I'm the head of the Ghost Adventures Crew. Listen, my guys and I are going to be in Savannah investigating the Wormsloe Plantation. I asked around about another group and anyone I talked to recommended you."

She stopped typing and looked out the window, seeing everyone milling about the street, trying to escape the heat. "Uh huh." She waited only a moment before he continued. "I was curious if you and your team had gotten the chance to investigate that location yet." She licked her lips and took a hold of the phone with her hand. "Well, actually yeah we did investigate there. Had some great results. EVP's, personal attacks, that sort of thing. My co-founder, Keith, he was actually shoved down a flight of stairs." _'Like he didn't deserve it.'_ She tried to ignore her inner voice. He never meant to hurt her, she knew it deep down. But when he was rolling down the stairs, she couldn't help but feel happy about it. "Well, Nick, Aaron, and myself are in town. Would you like to meet up with us and tell me about that?" She heard a small commotion on the other end of the line. "Uh, that would be fine. I guess. I'd need like thirty minutes though. Meet me at The Sixpence Pub at two and I'll tell you all about it." She quickly saved the document and shut off the computer. "Sounds like a plan. Bye." She ended the call and stuffed the phone back into her pocket as she closed the office door behind her.

As she stepped out into the southern heat, she felt herself start to sweat. She walked a few blocks, through Forsyth Park, and gave a small smile when she saw her home. She climbed the stairs and unlocked the door, re-locking it behind her. She set her things on the counter and quickly made for the shower. She stepped out and could have sworn that this steam was cooler than it was outside. She wiped the mirror off and quickly started drying her hair. She went to her closet and picked out her wife beader with the stones across the neckline, a teal skirt, and her wooden bangles. She shook her wet hair out after she dressed, going for the curly, surfer girl look. She picked up her bag and slid on her sunglasses and stepped out, once more, into the sweltering heat.

She quickly made her way to the pub, coming across the traditional 3 little black tables with chairs and an umbrella out front. She looked across the street at the Red Corner store, then to her watch. 2:04. They must be lost. She sat down at one of the empty tables and crossed her legs, enjoying the shade a large oak was providing. She was almost about to doze off when she heard the familiar ring tone once more. She lifted her sunglasses and saw the same number. "Hello, Mr. Bagans. I do believe you're running a little late." She couldn't quite understand what she heard. She heard the voice on the phone say, "I actually just arrived." but she also heard the same voice behind her. She ended the call and stood up to greet the three men. "Hi. I'm Ariana." Zak extended his hand and shook hers. "I'm Zak, that's Aaron and Nick. May we?" He motioned towards the chairs. She nodded her head. "Please." After they sat, a waitress came over. "Can I take your order?" Nick, Zak, and Aaron ordered a coke a piece. "I'll have a sweet tea. No lemon, please." They smiled warmly at each other. The waitress closed her book and walked inside. "So, Ariana. You were talking about Keith being shoved down a stairwell?" She smiled and replaced her sunglasses.

"He's not exactly a scrawny boy. 6 foot, 200 pounds. He works out all the time, a real muscle guy. We were walking along in the attic trying to get some EVP's and next thing we know, we heard a horrendously loud thumpin. I looked over and saw a shoe as his feet followed him down the stairs." The waitress returned and set their drinks down. Ariana took a long drink from her glass. "And then there's the attack on me. Same night around 3. Went up there myself and I swear it had to be demonic. I felt like I was pinned against the wall and a hand was wrapped around my throat. I literally couldn't breathe. The next day, I had three long scratches starting just below my ear and went all the way to under my chin." Zak raised his eyebrows and sat back in his chair. "Wow." She absent mindedly stirred her tea with her straw. "How long are y'all gonna be in town? I could take you over to Bonaventure. Try to really get something going." She smiled at Aaron and Nick. Nick piped up. "So where's Bonaventure?" She gave a small chuckle, revealing her white teeth. "It's the cemetery. One of the largest in Savannah. If you're not up for that, there's a party over at The Rail Pub." Aaron set his empty glass on the table. "I'm all for a party, dude. Let's go."

They met later that night at pub. Unfortunately, Ariana had blabbed to Keith. He felt Tonia and Matt should be in on it as well. They showed up right on time, seeing the three standing outside, waiting. She smiled and started walking towards them when she felt a harsh tug on her wrist. "I'll go first." Keith had that look in his eye. And the harsh tone of her voice made her tremble, slightly. As they walked towards the guys, she felt like a bad child whose father was tugging her along by her arm. Zak was the first to speak. "Ariana. Hey. Who's this?" She pasted a fake smile across her lips. "This is Keith. And that is Tonia and Matt. We're DeBunked." Zak offered his hand to Keith. "Hey man. Zak." Keith simply stared at it like a nasty spider and brushed past him, dragging Ariana with him. She mouthed the word 'Sorry' to Zak as everyone piled inside. Keith went to get drinks immediately, leaving Ariana alone with everyone else. "So, Aaron, are you looking forward to being in the attic all alone?" He laughed, not getting the hidden meaning. "What's wrong with the attic?" Ariana looked at Zak and let him explain. "The attic was a spot for satanic worshipers. From what Ariana has told me, sounds like the portal is still open." Keith quickly returned and handed everyone drinks. "No way, man. Zak, for real dude, I'm not going in there." Nick and Zak took pleasure in knowing he dreaded the lockdown.

Everyone grew more drunk as the time passed on. Everyone downed a shot and smacked their glass on the table. "Whoo!" Tonia was an obnoxious drunk. Matt slithered his arm around her waist and nibbled on her shoulder, not caring who was or wasn't watching. "Guys, I'm going outside for a minute. I'm burning up." Zak stood with her and he started towards the door, but as he looked back, he saw Keith with a death grip on her arm and looking very pissed. He heard Ariana shout a loud "Okay!" before she jerked her arm away and headed for the door. They stepped out into the night, and she took a deep breath. "Everything okay?" She shrugged. "Not really. But it never is, so nothing different there." She leaned on the black iron posts and laid her head back. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath before letting it out slowly. She looked over at Zak, noticing the look of concern he still wore across his face. "I'm fine. Really. He's just overly jealous. For some reason can't even fathom that I love him. Idiot." She smiled and shook her head. "Ariana.." She cut him off. "Zak, please. Call me Arie. My friends do, and it saves some trouble with letters." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground before looking back at her. "Look, Arie. Maybe it's none of my business, but it kinda seems like he's a total dick." She took in what he said, already knowing it was true, and not news to anyone around Savannah. "Everything is fine, really." He stepped closer to her. "Really?" She felt her heart thumping in her throat. "Yeah, really." He nodded his head. "Ok. Then why is it, you tried to come say hi, and he snatches your arm. Why is it you had to plaster on a smile and apologize for _him_ being a dick?" She could feel it all unraveling. The lies she had been telling herself. How happy she was with Keith. How he never meant to hurt her.

She knew it was lies, but she could easily lie to herself and knew she was fooling everyone around her. But a stranger walks into her life, and he saw right through it. "I don't want to talk about this." She started to walk away when Zak gently grabbed her arm. "Arie, please. If you can't admit it to me, then at least admit it to yourself. I'll tell you what. If he has never hit you, not once, then I'll go back inside and forget this entire conversation." She turned around and looked at him. "And if he has?" She felt a small sting in her eyes, knowing a flood was coming. "If he has, then.." He sighed and shrugged, letting her arm go. "Then leave him. Tell him you're done and walk out of here. Nick and Aaron will back me up and we'll take you home." She turned around and felt a tear slowly slide down her cheek. "Come with me." She started walking away from the bar, knowing Zak was following. They walked down Martin Luther King Blvd. and onto West Bay Street. She folded her arms across her chest and slowed her pace as he caught up to her. They walked in silence until they reached Morrell Park. Right on the water front. Quiet at this time of night. She found a bench and sat down. She was finding it hard to breathe as she leaned over and rested her arms on her legs, burying her face in her hands. Zak sat down next to her, placing a hand on her back. "I can't just leave. It's not that simple."

She sat up and turned towards him. "Then explain it to me." She started to speak, but quickly shut her mouth, letting out what was almost a scoff. "You wouldn't understand." He stood up and moved in front of her, squatting down. "Then help me understand." She stood up and stepped around him. "Why do you give a fuck? In a week, you'll be done here, and you'll go to another location and back to LA, and I'll still be here, dealing with the consequences of whatever I do! Just don't worry about it!" He stood up and walked over to her. "Arie, I know you're not happy. _You_ know you're not happy. This doesn't matter if I'm here or not. This is about you. As a person. What you are willing to take and put up with." She walked over to the railing and leaned on it, looking out over the water. "I can't just leave him. He'd find me and make me pay for it. I don't have any friends except for Tonia. I've never even really talked to Matt. Because I'm not _allowed_ to." He walked over to her and leaned against the railing beside her. "Then come on our investigation tomorrow. I'll make you a member, if it'll help. I just don't want to know that someone as smart, and kind, and beautiful as you...is putting up with this." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You really think I'm beautiful?" He nodded his head and looked at her. "Very." She smiled and stood off the railing, Zak doing the same. She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Zak." She felt his arms wrap around her back and a cold chill went up her spine as she inhaled the way he smelled. "Keith has never once told me I was beautiful. It's always been ugly, fatass, bitch, whore, slut. After a while, I started to believe it." She stepped away from him and smiled as she looked into his eyes. "I'll go on lockdown tomorrow." He smiled at her and followed as she started her way back. "Good. Now you get to hear Aaron's girlie screams." They both laughed as they headed back to the bar and walked back in.

Keith locked in on Ariana as soon as she stepped through the door. He jumped out of his seat and rushed over to her. Zak stepped in front of him. "Excuse me, I'm trying to talk to my girlfriend." Ariana stepped out from behind Zak. "We're done, Keith." His eyes widened and he took a step towards her. "I'm sorry. Am I deaf? Or did you really just say we're done?" Zak put a hand on Keith's chest, pushing him away. "I think you heard her." Keith turned to walk away and Zak turned his back to Aaron. Ariana looked over at Zak and smiled. As she did, she felt a pain in her eye, and everything turned to black. She heard yelling, screaming, and more commotion. The last thing she remembered was his voice. "Arie? Arie. Nick, help me get her into the van."

**So...? How was it?! Leave me comments so I know someone is reading this. please lol. I have read way too many stories where they meet and the next day in the story they're "in love". So that's not this kind of story. I'm trying to make it believable. He thinks she's nice and a good person and cares. On a basic human level. I can't imagine anyone that wouldn't care for someone in this situation. ANYWAYS..yeah..don't own anything...blah blah blah.. I want at least one reply, and I'll post more tomorrow, whether i get the reply or not lol. I love writing this story so far. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Savannah and I hope I'm doing it at least ****_some_**** justice.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay. Part 2. Again I don't own anything, not the songs in this chapter, not the GAC name, people, stuff, nothing in Savannah. It's all real and owned by someone else. I only own Ariana. I know I said I HATED it when they've only known each other for like two days, but it's really hard to draw it out and try to fill in the space with something other than what you want to happen. So this story is rated M. Just a reminder.**

She woke up to the sun shining through the curtained windows and onto her face. She heard two voices bickering and laughing. "Guys, shut up. If you wake her up, I'm gonna kill you both." The voice was a few feet away from her. "Sorry, Zak." She kept her eyes closed and thought things through for a minute. An unfamiliar cologne filled her senses. She could tell she was still clothed, she felt fine, and was hungry as hell. She sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed, looking up to see Zak's face. He smiled and looked to Nick and Aaron. "Guys, can you give us a minute?" They nodded and ran out of the room, closing the door behind them. He walked over and crouched on the floor in front of her. "How do you feel?" She smiled and looked at the floor before returning her gaze to his eyes. "Fine. I guess." He nodded his head and rested his elbow on his knee. "Good. Arie what can you remember about last night?"

She searched her brain, trying to remember. "I remember The Rail Pub. I remember Morrell Park. And…Oh My God..I broke up with Keith." He gave a small chuckle and tilted his head slightly to the side. "How does it feel?" She thought a moment, trying to find the right word. "Liberating." He stood up and walked over to the mirror above the chest of drawers. She stood up and walked over to stand next to him. She was caught off guard. A large purple oval replaced where her eye was. She raised her finger tips to it and gently touched it, wincing. "Jesus." She looked over to Zak. "What the hell happened to me?" His bright demeanor faded as he took her hand and led her back to the bed. He sat down next to her, now obviously examining her eye. "Keith happened. I only turned my back for a second, and he came out of nowhere and popped you. Knocked you out. We didn't know your address or anything, so I just brought you to my room."

She absorbed everything gradually. She was beginning to remember things, slowly. She had told Keith it was over, and then she remembered hearing Zak shouting for Nick to help him. She turned her head towards Zak and wrapped her arm around him in a half hug. "Thank you, Zak." As she caught a stronger smell of his cologne, she remembered she had hugged him last night at the park. She could feel a small blush start to creep up her cheeks, so she let go of him. "You are more than welcome, Arie." She stood up and walked over to the window, pulling the cord, and opening the blinds fully, revealing the hustle and bustle of East Jones Street. She wrapped her hands around her arms as she looked. She turned around to face Zak and was caught off guard when she realized he was almost right behind her. "So what are your plans for today, Mr. Bagans?" He smiled and leaned against the frame of the window. "Well, me and the guys are going to do some interviews out at Wormsloe. Eyewitness accounts, personal experiences, stuff like that. I would like to film you, if you wouldn't care." She shook her head before she spoke. "That would be perfectly fine with me. Hopefully I can cover this stupid bruise before then."

"Well, where do you live? We can come pick you up if you'd like." She picked her jacket up off the chair and slid it over her arms. "Actually, we could walk there from here. It's just a few blocks away. I'd actually…kinda prefer it if you walked with me. I'm still worried things between Keith and I aren't officially over." He nodded his head. "No problem. Just let me go tell the guys I'm heading out. Let's go." She followed him out the door of the room and he knocked on the door next door. Nick opened it. "Hey guys. What's up?" She liked Aaron and Nick. Aaron was goofy and funny and Zak was so serious about his work. And Nick was right in the middle. He could be goofy and have fun, but he could put his nose to the grindstone when the time called for it. "Uh, I'm gonna walk Arie home. She's going to get changed and then the four of us are going to head out for the plantation. I'll be back." Nick nodded his head and shut the door as Zak turned back into the hallway.

The muggy weather was relentless as they traipsed through town. "So, Zak, are you excited about Wormsloe?" He nodded his head and took his hands out of his pocket, relaxing next to her as they walked. "Yeah. I'm….cautiously…excited. I live for this, obviously, but I don't ever take demonic activity lightly. After Preston Castle and Poveglia Island, I just..don't want to take any chances." She raised an eyebrow as they neared Forsyth Park. "So..what happened?" He stopped walking for a minute and just stared at her before joining back with her pace. "Well, at both of those locations, I believe, I was possessed. I just remember seeing red and watching what was happening, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was almost like a horror movie. You're sitting there screaming at the person not to go in that house..because you know the killer's in there. But you have no control." She nodded, understanding what he was saying. They reached the fountain in the middle of the park; elegant statues placed all around the water with a black iron gate fencing it in.

She turned towards the left and pointed at the blue-gray house. "That's me. Come on." She smiled as they cut across the grass and carefully across the street. They climbed the stairs and she slid the key into the lock. As she did, the door slowly opened into her home. Zak put his arm in front of her. "Wait here. I'm going to go in and make sure you don't have any unexpected guests." Before she could protest, Zak stepped in and after a short wait, he returned. "Everything's a mess." She nodded, accepting the warning, and stepped into her home. Her glass dining table was shattered. The wall paper in the kitchen hung in tatters. She carefully climbed the stairs into the hallway and saw the mosaic lamp she had made was in pieces. Her bedroom was worse. The pillows had been ripped open, feathers lying where they had floated to on the ground. Her mattress was tossed against the wall, her clothes scattered all over the room. She looked at Zak and took him by surprise when she smiled. "You're…_happy_ about this?" She shook her head. "No. I'm not exactly pleased, but at least it was just my stuff and not me." He nodded his head in agreement as she started picking up her clothes and stuffing them back into her dresser. "I'm just going to hop into the shower really quick. I won't be but fifteen minutes. There should be some drinks in the fridge, if you'd like anything." His arms folded across his chest, his face revealed nothing. "I'm not thirsty, thank you though." She couldn't help but drizzle on her movie charm. "Well, if you're thirsty..a drink will cure it. If you're not….a drink will prevent it. After all, prevention is better than a cure, don't you think?" She knew he got it the instant he smiled.

"A fellow Midnight in the Garden fan. That's rare." She grabbed her clothes for after her shower and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She turned on the warm water and stepped in, letting the water cascade over her. She washed her hair twice, shaved, and lathered up in her cherry blossom body wash before rinsing off. She stepped out and dried off, catching her reflection in the mirror. She leaned over the sink and examined her eye closer. It was purple, a little swollen still, but with her makeup magic, easily coverable. She slipped on her shirt and shorts, and then pulled her hair back in a pony tail. She added concealer, then foundation, then a powder finish. A very faint hint of the bruise remained. As long as no one was looking for it, she would be okay. She did her eyes and added a small hint of bronzer before deciding she looked good. She walked back into her catastrophe of a bedroom and hunted down her blue jean style flip flops with a red bandana print on the band. She noticed her bed had been flipped back to its normal position and re-made, save the pillows. Her clothes were off the floor and peeking out of her dresser, and most of the feathers had been picked up. She headed down the stairs and found it cleaned up considerably as well. "Zak, you really didn't have to do this. I would have gotten it." He scratched the back of his head before walking over to her at the bottom stair. "I just..I know you're going to be busy helping us with this lockdown and I don't want you to have to sleep on what is left of your couch." She stepped past him and walked into her kitchen. Pulling open the door, she pulled out two glass bottles of coke and opened them both, offering one to him.

She took a large gulp as she walked over to the shattered table. All that was left was the black iron stand that had once held the glass. She sighed and leaned against the wall. "My mom and dad bought that for me when I first moved in here. Said 'Every home needs a dining table'. It wasn't an antique or anything. Just had special meaning to it." She sighed and turned to Zak. She looked up into his blue eyes and let her gaze fall to his lips. Briefly, she wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips, but quickly shook the thought from her head. She had just met him. "So are you ready to go?" She snapped out of her daze and finished her coke. "Yeah. I'm ready." They stepped back out onto the porch and she locked the door tight before they headed back towards the inn. When they arrived, Nick and Aaron already had the van loaded and were waiting to leave. She grinned and shook her head. "Shotgun!" Aaron's mouth dropped open. "No way! I always get shot gun!" She playfully pushed him out of the way of the door. "Sorry, Aaron. It's mine. I called dibs." She jumped in and closed the door as Zak climbed in next to her and started the engine. The radio was very low, but when she heard the beginning of one of her favorite songs, she had to turn it up.

_County road 233 _

_Under my feet…nothing on this white rock but little ol me._

_I got two miles till he makes bail….and If I'm right we're headed straight for hell…_

_I'm going home gonna load my shotgun_

_Wait by the door and light a cigarette_

_He wants a fight well now he's got one_

_He ain't seen me crazy yet. He slapped_

_My face and shook me like a ragdoll, don't that sound like a real man_

_I'm gonna show him what a little girl's made of.._

_Gunpowder and lead._

Zak shook his head as they continued driving past an endless forest of trees and brush on the side of the road. They were almost at the plantation. Zak turned the radio down, quieting the sounds of, now, Maroon 5. "Okay, guys. When we get there, we have 3 interviews to do. We have Janice Hopkins. She has been working at Wormsloe for years doing upkeep and garden work. Then we have a tour guide, Guss Monroe. He said he experienced something when he was guiding a tour..and everyone wanted to leave right after it happened." He quit talking as they continued driving. "Who's the last, Zak?" Nick had his camera up and operating, the red light giving it away. He moved the camera close in on Ariana. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this…is….Ariana Samaras. She is a fellow ghost hunter and Zak's new girlfriend." Aaron slipped into a fit of giggles as Arie tried to reach behind her to hit Nick. She turned back around and plopped back down on her seat, trying desperately to hide the pink growing in her cheeks. Zak gave his signal and turned into the open gate. They followed the gravely dirt path to the plantation house. The van stopped moving and Zak put it into park as everyone started filing out. An older woman came over to Zak. "Are y'all the ghost people?" Ariana walked close to the woman and smiled. "Yes ma'am. I'm Ariana. I was here with my group a few months back, do you remember me?" The old woman eyed her suspiciously for a moment before, like a switch being flipped on, she reached out to hug her. "Of course I do darlin! How y'all been?" She smiled, knowing old southern manners were her giveaway. "I've been just fine, thank you. And yourself?" The old woman swung her hand through the air, almost like she was batting away an imaginary fly. "Oh, good Lord willin. This arthritis is about to murder me. Can't cross stitch like I used to. I can barely walk anymore. Old age is horrendous." She gave a small laugh along with the woman as the guys walked up behind her.

"Miss Janice, this is Aaron, Nick, and Zak. They're the group coming to investigate."She nodded her head and took Zak's hand, shaking it gently. "How are y'all? Was your trip alright?" Zak smiled and set down the black case of equipment he had been holding. "Yes ma'am. We're doing just fine, thank you. The trip was a little long, but this is almost in the middle of nowhere." She nodded and smiled at them. "Well, y'all come on inside. Let's get out of this heat." The guys grabbed the rest of the equipment and followed Ariana and Janice into the house. Ariana took the woman's arm and helped her step over the threshold into the old home. They walked into a large room with two story windows. The sun came through brilliantly, bringing the plants in the room to life. The woman sat down in a chair and had a table next to her with another chair opposite of her. "Miss Janice, would this be an okay place to film our interview with you?" She nodded her head. "Why, sure it is." For the next ten or fifteen minutes, the guys set up the equipment as Janice walked around the room with Ariana and showed her the flowers and plants she took such pride in. "And this one is Aries Horn. Someone out of Valdosta named this one after their horoscope sign. Can you imagine?" She smiled politely. "No ma'am. I can't." She heard Zak call her name and she walked over to him. "What's up?" He looked back at Aaron and then to her again. "I think we're ready to start. Could you get her to sit down?" She smiled and nodded.

"Now, Miss Janice, you are 74 years old and you have been here for 28 years. Can you tell me a little about the history of this place?" She smiled at Zak and started speaking. "During the war, Wormsloe and the Isle of Hope were took over by Confederate forces. When the north captured Savannah in 1864, the family was forced to flee. It was confiscated by the government because of the support it showed towards the Confederate soldiers. Johnson eventually returned it to the Jones family. "

Zak watched intently as she remembered all the facts like they were her birthday; nothing to it. "And were there slaves on this plantation?" The old woman looked up, thinking in her head, trying desperately to remember. "Yes and no. You see, slavery had been banned by Georgia's original charter, so Noble Jones used indentured servant labor to tend Wormsloe in the plantation's early years. When the Trustees revoked the ban on slavery, Jones used slave labor in hopes of making Wormsloe profitable. He initially planted several types of crops, including corn, rice, fruits and vegetables, and indigo. He tried to get silk, but it never worked out for him." Zak examined the aged woman with deep interest. He had it written all over his face that he could sit all day and listen to her speak about historical events that took place.

"Miss Janice, have you ever had anything happen here? Anything you couldn't explain or seen something strange?" She smiled and paused for a brief moment before nodding. "Yes I have. I've been working in my garden in here and heard someone say 'that's beautiful'. I saw a tall dark figure of a man on the second floor in the bedroom. I was doing my usual work, dusting and sweeping, stuff like that, and I felt like I had someone a watchin me. So I turned around and there he stood. I couldn't make out a face or none of that, but I could tell where his head was, his arms, legs." It was Zak's turn to nod this time. "And did you feel threatened by him?" Her brow furrowed slightly and she looked at Zak. "I'll tell you what. I didn't think he was particularly friendly. But I told him to go on his way and I would go on mine, and the next thing I knew he was gone. So I suppose we at least came to an agreement to stay out of each other's way." She started laughing and Zak joined her. "Well at least he can be bargained with. Thank you, Miss Janice." Nick stopped the camera and I walked over to Janice. "We're going to the attic, alright?" She smiled and gave one firm nod before she returned to looking at her room of flowers.

Zak, me, Nick, and Aaron trouped up the stairs to the attic door. I felt a cold chill down my spine just seeing it. "I'd like to do your interview up here if you're okay with that. If not, we can do it outside or in the living room. It's entirely up to you." She reached out and took the knob in her hand and twisted it. As she pulled it towards herself, she heard the creak of the hinges as it swung open. She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'll be fine. Let's go." She started up the stairs and turned to the right, avoiding a few boxes in the way. She walked to where she was attacked and stopped. As Zak caught up to her, she walked towards the wall and moved an old picture out of the way, revealing a pentagram painted in white on the bricks. "You weren't kidding." She gave a small smile and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't joke about something involving demonic activity." Zak ran his fingers over the image, then stopped when Nick and Aaron got his attention. "We're ready, dude." We both nodded and stood next to each other. "3,2,1…rolling." Zak took a stronger presence when he was being filmed. "I'm here with a fellow investigator from a local group named DeBunked, Ariana. Arie, we've heard you had been attacked in this room, right?" She smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah. It was pretty awful." She felt like her answers would be lame, but once she got to explain she knew it would reel someone in. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Well, my other team is Keith, Tonia, and Matt. And Matt was over on the other side of the attic trying to get some EVP's and Keith, Tonia, and myself were here. We were taking pictures trying to see if we could find anything. Matt asked Tonia to come join him, so it was Keith and myself. I asked if anyone was here, and a few seconds later, like almost at the same time, I saw Keith rolling down the stairs, his shoes flying, and then I felt like I was pinned against the wall. Like I couldn't move or breathe. The next day, I had scratches on my throat. They went from here" She put her fingers under her ear and drug them to under her chin. "To here." Zak put a hand on his hip. "So this wasn't like you scratched yourself sleeping or anything, this absolutely _had_ to be this one instance." She nodded. "Yeah. It was really scary, but if you look here, there's a pentagram painted on the wall. I'm almost positive that has something to do with it. When we investigated, the staff told me that no one comes up here alone. They don't even like to come up here in pairs." Zak had one arm wrapped across his chest and his elbow rested on his wrist as he cupped his chin with his hand. He dropped them to his side and turned straight towards the camera. "And that's exactly why we're here. To figure out wh-" He was cut off by a loud clanging noise from the other side of the attic. Aaron and Nick turned around, trying to see the cause of the noise. Zak started over towards the direction of the noise and she followed with Nick behind her, camera in hand.

"Aaron, hand me a recorder." Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black recorder and handed it to Zak, who immediately switched it on. "Is there someone here with us now?" Silence followed. Ariana spoke next. "Are you the one who attacked me and my friend Keith?" It bothered her to even call him a friend anymore. She seethed on the inside at what he had done to her home. She never thought he would sink that low. After several more questions, Zak stopped the recorder and rewound it to the starting point, then pushed play. _'Is there someone here with us now?' _Silence. White noise was the only sound coming from the recorder. _'Are you the one who attacked my and my friend Keith?' _More white noise, but then a noise. Zak looked at her and then rewound the question. He turned the volume up as loud as it would go and held it close to his ear. "Dude, I can't make out what that says. It just sounds like a growl, like it's not even trying to form words." Nick pulled the camera off his shoulder, looking at it. "I just lost all battery on my camera." Zak looked worried. "Dude this thing was full when we got here." Nick held the dead camera out to him. "I know, dude. But there's..it's just got nothing. No charge no backup. It's dead." They all heard a gasp, and saw Aaron pointing behind Ariana. "Dude!" Everyone looked behind her, seeing nothing. "What was it, Aaron?" Aaron shook his head and grinned. "I swear to God, dude, I just saw a huge shadow behind Ariana. Swear to God!" Zak smiled and nodded his head while he rubbed his hands together. "All right then. That's a good sign. Let's get back to the Inn. We'll do Guss' interview later." They packed up all the equipment and headed down the stairs. Arie stopped at the bottom and looked back into the empty attic. Zak turned around and walked to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Arie?" She shut the door and smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine."

The van was too quiet. Arie reached over and turned on the radio to the local pop station just as a song was coming on. _I need you right here by my side. You're everything I'm not…in my life..we're indestructible..we are untouchable..nothing can take us down tonight. You are so beautiful, it should be criminal that you could be mine.._ She rested her arm on the arm rest and looked out front as the interstate passed beneath them. _We will make it out alive, I promise you this love will never die. No matter what..I've got your back..I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that..I swear to God that in the bitter end…we're gonna be the last ones standing._ She felt a warm reassuring squeeze on her hand, and looked over to see Zak glancing back and forth from the road to her, a smile across his lips. She knew it was contagious as a smile spread across her lips. Aaron and Nick were in the back arguing over the equipment and charge on the batteries. "Arie.." She looked over to him. "Yeah?" He turned the radio up a little and moved the sound to the back. "Do you want to go to dinner tonight? Maybe take me to Bonaventure?" She nodded her head. "Sure." Another song started to come on and Aaron reached between them and blasted the volume. "Oh hell.." Zak shook his head as the continued cruising down the road. _When I walk on by…girls be looking like 'Damn he fly!'_ _I pimp to the beat, walking on the street in my new lafreak, yeah…This is how I roll, animal print, pants outta control, It's Redfoo with the big afro  
And like Bruce Leroy I got the glow…Ah... Girl look at that body  
Ah... I work out  
Ah... Girl …look at that body  
Ah... I work out….When I walk in the spot (yeah), this is what I see (ok)…Everybody stops and they staring at me….I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it…..I'm sexy and I know it.._ Aaron sang as loud as he could, annoying all three of us as we came to the Savannah limits. Zak stopped infront of my house and I hopped out of the van and climbed the stairs. Zak followed behind. "I'll come get you around 7, is that okay?" She looked at her watch and saw it was gave a small giggle and put her key into the door. "That's fine." Zak smiled back at her. "Good." He walked back down the stairs and headed back into the van. She watched until they disappeared before stepping into the house and locking the door behind her.

At 6:30 sharp her doorbell rang. She had dressed in a knee length black dress with grey speckles, and a pair of kitten heels. She opened the door and saw Zak standing there in a t-shirt and jeans. "Suddenly I feel over dressed." She laughed. "No way. You look very pretty." She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her, locking it. Zak extended his elbow to her, and while stifling a laugh, she took it as the descended the stairs. Zak wouldn't tell her where he was taking her, but he did say she would love it. As they drove along, he had turned on an oldies station and 'Simple Man' by Lynard Skynard was playing. She rolled the window down and let the breeze blow through her hair. He slowed down and told her to cover her eyes. She put her hands over her eyes and didn't peek, as promised. He opened the door and helped her down. "Zak, really. I've lived here my whole life it won't be that big of a surprise." He put his hands over hers and let her look. She smiled when she saw they were at Bea's Kitchen. It wasn't much to look at. A small white building with two windows, a brick porch, and a gravel lot. The open sign glowed in the dark as they walked towards the door and entered. They took a seat and the waitress came over to them. "Hey y'all. What do you want to drink?" Zak, as usual, ordered a coke. Without a moment's hesitation, Ariana ordered her usual. "Sweet tea, no lemon please." The girl smiled and turned away towards the back.

"Why do you always get sweet tea?" She crossed her legs under the table and leaned in close. "Here's a hint, Zak. You're in Savannah. We take our sweet tea almost as seriously as you do ghosts." She leaned back and smirked. Zak looked over the menu, trying to decide what he wanted. Ariana already knew. The girl returned with their drinks and laid down two straws. "You guys ready?" She nodded her head. "I'll have the chicken livers and home fries with macaroni and cheese on the side as well." The girl jotted on her note pad and looked to Zak. "Uh..I'll have a bacon cheeseburger and fries, please." The girl stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on writing down his order before disappearing. He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Chicken livers?" She unwrapped her straw and planted it into the cup before taking a long drink. "Yeah. My mom and dad made them when I was little. If you try to go somewhere like Cracker Barrel or KFC..they over cook them. Then they're awful. Here, they actually leave them a little juicy." Zak made a disgusted face, causing her to laugh at him. Soon, their food arrived and they ate in silence. After they had finished and paid, Zak headed across Talmadge Bridge and drove to Hutchinson Island. He shut off the engine and they climbed out. "Come on." She followed him onto the sandy, but rocky, beach at the edge of the river. She set her heels in the sand and waded in to the water until it lapped halfway up her leg. Zak rolled up his pant legs and waded in to join her. They stood there, staring at the lights of Savannah across the river, but listening in silence. She leaned down and put her hand into the lukewarm water, wishing she could go swimming. She looked at Zak with a malicious grin across her lips as she cupped some water in her hand and splashed him. "Not cool!" She giggled furiously. Zak leaned down and splashed her back.

"You're gonna get it now. You think you're a big, tough guy..wait til I get a hold of you." Zak mocked fear and started backing away from her. He stepped on something rough and pointy. He began to lose his balance and grabbed her arm for support. This took Ariana by surprise and they both tumbled into the water, Zak almost completely covered from head to toe, Arie on top of him. "You suck, Zak Bagans." The humor quickly faded as he reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. She looked into his eyes and slowly leaned down towards him. She felt his hand gently cup her cheek before she suddenly pulled away and splashed him again. "I tried to warn you." She jumped up and tried to run in the water, but was stopped when he grabbed her by her hips and pulled her back into the water with him, drenching them both. She could hardly catch her breath as he poked at her side, tickling her. "Think you're going to get me back? You splashed me first, Arie! Say Uncle!" Her sides started to ache, and her breathing was intense. "Uncle Cracker! Uncle Cracker!" He let her go and she stood up and flopped back down in the water next to him, sitting on her butt in the wet sandy water. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned over and nudged her. She leaned over and nudged him back, causing a small chuckle. "Let's go. I've gotta get dried off and get some sleep." He stood up and reached down, taking her hands and pulling her up to stand with him. They trudged back to the car and got in. Zak was just crossing the bridge towards home when she felt his hand on her again. She felt the butterflies in her stomach come to life and a smile crossed her lips. He took her hand and filled the spaces between her fingers with his and gently ran his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. She knew she was full on blushing this time. But she didn't care. She had a good time. And she was really starting to like Zak. He turned at Forsyth Park and came to a stop alongside the curb in front of her house. They both got out and he walked her to the door. She opened it and they stood there on the porch for a minute, awkwardly staring at each other. "Night, Arie." She smiled. "Night, Zak." He turned around and started down the stairs towards the car as she stepped in and closed the door. She watched out the window and saw he didn't move. His arm rested on the divider between the driver and passenger seat, his hand covering his mouth as he thought something over.

She had wanted him to kiss her. But he didn't. They were laughing, holding hands. But there was something holding him back. She worried it was Keith's recent departure. But she hadn't been in love with him in a very long time. She sighed and as she started to turn away from the window, she saw Zak getting out of the car. She walked from the dining room over to the front door and opened it just as he was about to knock. They looked at each other for a moment, then Zak stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her face towards his. Their lips touched, and the butterflies were instantly back. She slid her hand up his chest and to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her, not wanting it to end. Wanting it to last for as long as it could. He gently pushed her up against the wall before tenderly finishing the kiss. Both their breaths were heavy and he rested his forehead against hers, taking in her perfume, her light, and how happy he was he had come back. He liked his lips and swallowed before speaking again. "I've really got to go. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She smiled, in a daze, and nodded her head. "Lock this door behind me. Please." She couldn't find the word drawer in her mind, so she simply nodded again. He smirked and placed one last gently kiss on her lips for the night. He opened the door and shut it behind him. She closed her eyes and slid down to the floor, resting her head on the wall behind her. It was everything she had wanted it to be.

She finally rose off the floor and locked the deadbolt and door knob before sliding the chain in as well. She climbed the stairs and flopped down onto her back on her bed, smiling like an idiot. For the first time in a long time…she was happy.

**The first song is 'Gunpowder and Lead' by Miranda Lambert**

**2. Sexy and I know it**

**3. Simple Man**

**AGAIN I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT ARIANA! Please read and reply and let me know if you like it. I would love to know what you think and it'll only take a minute. Be kind. Send replies.**


	3. Chapter 3

**No reviews. :( Oh well. I'm having fun writing this. It'll get more into the paranormal aspect shortly. But anyways...yaddah yaddah yaddah...I Don't Own anything...not zak, not aaron or nick, not GAC, not anything, one, or place in Savannah Georgia..the only thing i do own is Ariana. So yeah. I'm gonna update and if you're reading it..i hope you like it. :D**

After the endless days of heat, the sky finally decided to open up and rain. A soft southern drizzle kept up from the crack of dawn. Ariana woke to the sounds of the pitter patter on the roof. She lay in bed, her eyes still closed, and enjoyed the sounds. She smiled as she remembered the kiss she and Zak had shared the night before. She rolled from her stomach to her back and looked at the ceiling, really not wanting to get out of the bed. Really not wanting to go to work. But she knew her fun time was over. She threw the covers back and crawled from her warm haven, making her way to the bathroom. She flipped on the lights and looked at herself in the mirror. She shook her head and started the water in the shower. As she stripped her clothes and waited for the water to warm, she turned on the radio. 'Good morning, Savannah! This is Emmagine and Mike in the morning. Today we're looking at rain up until the early afternoon, then our beloved sunshine should return and warm things up again. The time is 8:20, and this is The Great Escape, by Boys Like Girls. 98.4 in the morning...' The song began as she stepped into the shower and let the water cascade over her head. She felt herself slowly getting fully awake as she washed her face and hair, then she shaved again before rinsing off once more and turning off the water. She wrapped a towel around herself and listened to the song playing on the radio as she dried her hair and applied her make up. She switched off the radio, slipped her glasses on, and ventured downstairs and started a pot of coffee. As she waited for it to brew, she noticed the paper laying on the floor. She walked over to the front door and picked it up, perusing the headlines. She was startled as she heard a sharp knock at the door. She peeked through the hole in the door and saw Zak standing on her porch. She smiled and cracked the door.

"Hey. I didn't know you wore glasses." She smiled at him. "Well right now that's about all I'm wearing. Let me run upstairs and change. You can come in and wait if you want." She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the front door shut behind her. "There's coffee, too, Zak. Have some." She darted into her room and started looking through her closet. She settled for a nice peach colored tank top, a white button up shirt that went halfway up the tank, a pair of grey slacks, and a pair of black heels to finish it off. She was finally dressed when she descended the stairs and found him sitting at the kitchen table. "Now I'll say good morning." She smiled as she trotted over to the coffee pot and poured a cup. She added her creamer and stirred it before settling in a chair next to Zak. "So what are you doing up this early?" He took a drink from his mug and set it on the table. "I just wanted to come see you." She blushed behind her coffee cup as she took a jolting drink. She immediately felt the caffeine spread through her system. "So what are you doing today?" She took off her glasses and set them on the table. "I've got to go to work." Zak made a small 'oh' shape with his mouth. "Well, what time do you get done?" She thought for a minute, remembering her abandoned project. "It should be around two or three. I've got to finish a couple of projects and then I'll be done." She noted that he looked disappointed. He nodded his head, understanding it, though. "Okay. Well, do you care if I come by then? Actually...Nick and Aaron will be with me too. They're dying to get access to your X-Box." She laughed as he smiled. "No that's fine, Zak, really. Would you and the guys want to do a cookout? The radio says this weather's supposed to clear up pretty soon."

"Sure. That sounds awesome." She couldn't quit smiling. A few minutes passed in silence as they sipped on their coffee. "Look...Arie I..I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable last night, and I'm sorry I did. It's just I-" She looked at him, bewildered at how he could think that. "Zak, really? The last thing you did was make me feel uncomfortable. I...enjoyed myself last night." She, for some reason, couldn't call it a kiss. It had felt like something much more than that. Her heart and stomach fluttered when she remembered it. He nodded his head. "Good. I was worried you might have though I was trying to push things, and I wasn't doing that at all." She tried to hide her smile as he nervously rambled on. "Well while you're at work, we'll probably do the interview with Guss. And we might get a wild hair and go to Bonaventure." She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing it read 15 till. "Zak, I hate to kick you out of my house. Like you have no idea how much I hate to do it. But I've gotta be there at nine." She stood up and put her glasses back on before taking her mug to the sink. She saw Zak's hand reaching near hers, putting his cup in the sink with hers. She walked over to the door and waited for Zak to join her, watching as he followed. She was reaching for the door knob when she felt his hand on hers. "Hey, come here." He gently pulled her in for a hug. She relished in feeling his warmth and the smell of his cologne once more. She looked into his eyes and leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. His hand slid gently onto her cheek, keeping her where she was. She let her arm go around his neck and pulled him towards her. With as much self control as she could muster, she pulled away. "Now, Zak, don't tell me you're resorting to cheap tricks to keep me from going in to work." He smiled and shook his head. "I don't know. It might not be that beneath me." She shook her head, grabbed an umbrella, and opened the door letting them both onto the porch before she locked up. "You, sir, are a smartass." He slid his arm around her lower back as she opened the umbrella and they walked down the stairs before stopping at the bottom. "I'll take that as a compliment. Let me walk you to work." She smiled and started towards the direction of her office. "It's on the way to your hotel anyways."

They walked through Forsyth park in relative silence, just enjoying each others company. The rain patted the umbrella. "I really don't want to go in. I'd rather just stay in bed all day." He smiled at her. "Really?" She playfully smacked his arm. "You know what I mean. You've got a gutter brain." She pulled out her phone and started checking her e-mails. "Zak, what's your number?" He pulled out his phone and handed it to her as he took hers. She walked along and programmed her name and number into the phone. As she saved it, she felt hers slipping back into her side pocket. She handed his phone back to him. "Text me if you get hungry or something. I can tell you the best spots to eat." They arrived at the front door and she closed the umbrella. "I'll see you guys soon." He hesitated for a second before pulling her into a short hug. He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss upon her lips. "Try to hurry. Nick and Aaron are about to drive me crazy." She giggled. "Bye." He returned the word and started down the sidewalk. She sighed and turned towards the door, walking back in to the every day. As she typed furiously on her report, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and saw she had a text from _Zak_. She opened it and saw one word on the screen. _Hey._ She typed back _Hey yourself._ Then put the phone back on the desk and continued typing. A second later, another buzz. _What are you doing? Almost done?_ She smiled as she typed back._ I wish. This is the last project I've got to get done. Then I'm out._ She sent the message and put the phone back on her desk, resuming her typing once more. _Buzzzz_. She picked the phone up and read his next message._ Well hurry up and finish. Not getting any younger._ She typed her response and sent it back, not setting her phone down this time. _Well I would get done soon, but some guy won't stop texting me._ The screen hadn't even gone dark as the next text popped up. _Who is he? Why didn't you tell me there was someone else? :( _ She quietly laughed._ Calm down, Casanova. There isn't anyone else. But I'm really going to go. I want to finish this up and actually be there talking to you instead of texting you. :)_ Her phone was silent for the rest of the time as she typed her project. She put the words into an e-mail and sent it to her supervisor before printing off a copy. The rain had come to a stop and the air was muggy as she finally stepped outside.

At 2, she started walking back towards her home, but felt like someone was watching her. She stopped and looked around, but not seeing anyone suspicious, she continued on her way. She passed through the park and walked across the street to her home, seeing three bums sitting on her porch. "Well, talk about waiting for the attack." She climbed the stairs and sat down in one of the chairs. "And how long have y'all been waiting exactly?" Aaron looked at his watch. "Like 45 minutes." The streams of sweat on Aaron told her that time frame was true enough. "Well come on. I heard you want my X-Box." She unlocked the door and opened it. As she was about to step inside, Nick and Aaron stampeded by her towards the living room. She walked inside, Zak behind her closing the door. "Sorry. They've been bored too. Aaron ran out of topics to do for his vlogs so we've been shooting cool things. Like the fountain, buildings, statues." She smiled. "Well I'm tired. I hate waking up early. I'm gonna go take a nap." She was on the third step and turned around, seeing Zak resting his hand on the bannister, watching her. "Do you wanna come?" He nodded and disappeared. She didn't wait. She walked into her room and flipped on the light as she took off her shoes and switched into a tank top and shorts. She had just laid down on the bed when she heard footsteps outside her door. "I'm decent." The door opened and Zak came in, closing the door behind him. She was on her side looking at the door and smiled. "Get the light." She heard two loud thumps as he took his shoes off and crawled up onto the bed next to her. She rolled over and paid her head on his arm, near his shoulder, and felt his other arm slip around her waist. She could hear his heartbeat and feel his pulse. It was kind of crazy for her to think about, but millions of girls in the world "loved" this guy. And he was just simply that. A guy. A heart beat, a pulse, a heart, two arms, two legs, the same as every other guy in the world. The only difference was he was on tv. She listened to his breathing and was soon fast asleep.

She dreamed of a wide, open field. The grass was up to her hip as she waded through the moving oceans of green. In the middle of the field there was a ghost. Its mouth was moving, but no words came. It raised an arm and pointed with a decaying hand to behind her. She turned around and saw a dark cloud. It hovered over a small lake of water. She turned back around and saw the Ghost was gone, but Zak stood in its place. He reached out for her and pulled her in, giving her a kiss. She felt something shaking. Her eyes slowly opened and she immediately recognized the scent surrounding her. She calmed when she felt his arms still encasing her. "Arie? You awake?" She nodded her head and raised her arm. She draped it across his middle and didn't move again. "We're in trouble, Arie. Nick and Aaron found that pool you've been stashing out back." She groaned and pulled the covers over their heads. She felt his stomach bob up and down as he chuckled. She heard it reverberate in his chest, enjoying the sound. She sighed and threw the covers down. "Fine." She sat up and as she went to stand, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back on the bed. She felt his fingers moving quickly on her side as he furiously tickled her. She screamed and laughed. "Zak! Sto-..Oh God!" She continued laughing as he tickled and found she couldn't breathe. He stopped as she was panting and was hovering over her on his arms, looking down at her. "Hey." She smiled at him and touched his cheek with her hand. "Hey."

He leaned down, intent on kissing her, but Nick yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Zak, can we go swimming? Pleeeeeeeaaaaaassssseeee?!" A quick peck was the substitution. Arie jumped out of bed and closed the closet door behind her. She opened her dresser and pulled out her swimsuit, a pink one piece that was connected at the middle, but showed off her sides. 'Property of Team Pink' in white was on the middle. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and tied it up with a clip. She found 3 pairs of swim trunks that she kept for occasions like this and came out of her closet. "Here guys!" She threw the trunks down the stairs. Zak came climbing back up with one pair for himself and went into the bathroom. As he walked out, he saw her in her swimsuit. "Damn. I like pink." She grinned and walked past him into the bathroom and pulled down four towels. "Come on." She slid on her flip flops and they headed down the stairs and out the back door where Nick and Aaron were already swimming. Zak picked up Nick's camera and started recording. "Savannah, Georgia. Aaron's Vlog, that he doesn't know about. We're at a friend's house today" he panned over to Arie, wrapped in a towel and waiting on Zak. "This is Ariana. And over there is Nick and Aaron." At that time, they were wrestling in the water. "Zak, come on. I wanna play chicken." Zak posted the camera and took his shirt off before jumping in. Arie leaned down close to the camera. "What no one knows, is that Nick is absolutely crap at playing chicken. And I'm gonna beat him." She took off the towel and was slipping off her flip flops when Zak picked her up. "Guys, I think she's taking too long. Don't you?" Aaron and Nick were cheering Zak to throw her into the pool. "Zak Bagans so help me, God, if you throw me in you are going to regret it!" He looked at her then jumped in, sending them both into the pool. She came up coughing and pinching her nose, attempting to get the chlorinated water out. "You...suck."

"Arie, you get on Zak's shoulders and I'll get on Aaron's. We're going to play chicken." Aaron went under and came up with Nick sitting on his shoulders. "Dude..you look light, but you are heavy as a cow!" Nick smacked his head and raised his arms in the air. "Come on!" Zak went under and Arie felt her legs go over his shoulders. As he came up, she was raised out of the pool and his hands were holding onto her legs just at her knees. "Okay, guys, official rules! No splashing, no legsweeping of the chicken holders. Get it on!" Zak walked towards Aaron and Arie reached out, pushing at Nick. He leaned back and Aaron protested. "I can't help you if you go that way, dude. Seriously." They approached each other again and Nick reached out and grabbed Arie's arms, trying to twist them and throw her off balance. She pushed his hands off and Zak backed up. Aaron came charging at Zak, bringing Nick in close. Arie reached out and grabbed his hands and pulled him. "Zak, back up. Back up!" As Zak backed up, Aaron and Nick both went face first into the water. Zak stood up straight as Arie cheered. "Hell yeah!" He ducked down and let her slip off his shoulders and back into the water. She stood to the side as Nick and Aaron playfully argued with each other about those fault the loss was. She watched Zak watching them and admired his two tattoos that were usually hidden by his shirt. On his back was a winged demon and his left shoulder on his bicep was a celtic cross. She smiled. A little good and evil. He turned and smiled at her. She jumped up and then went under the water, keeping her nose pinched as she kicked through and surfaced in the deeper end of the pool. She climbed the ladder out and got onto the diving board. "Cannon Ball!" She ran down the board and jumped as high as she could and into the pool. She felt the sting on her side as she surfaced and blindly bumped in to Zak. "Are you okay? You totally landed on your side." She walked with him to the shallow end and as her torso appeared out of the water, she saw it was blood red. "Yeah, I think I'm done for now." She climbed out of the pool, the guys following her. "I'm gonna get dressed. We need to go to the store if we're going to cook out tonight." She climbed the stairs and went to her bedroom. She threw on a long yellow t-shirt with patterns in pink on it, and slid on her white flip flops. She let her hair down and grabbed her stuff. "I'm ready. Who's going?"

They all walked into the store, getting slightly chilled as the air conditioner hit their skin. Aaron had his camera rolling for a vlog. She pushed the buggy, throwing in hamburger and hot dog buns, chips, drinks, mixers, and toppings as well as a bag of marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. "S'Mores! Yes!" Nick was overly excited about the sugar content of the evening ahead. They walked into the cold food aisle and she saw Aaron zoomed in on a container of jello. He pulled back and told the camera he was on the search for something delicious. She grabbed a package of hot dogs and threw them into the buggy and watched as he turned down an aisle. She walked along and picked out the hamburger meat followed by the ribs. She started to turn down the same aisle that Aaron had gone down when she heard Zak talking. "Schtubbs. Schtubbs." He held the bottle infront of the camera for Aaron to get in close on and then Aaron made an excited "Ugh!" She shook her head as he shut it off and held it at his side. "You guys are dumb." She continued down the aisle and was looking at barbeque sauce, picking out two bottles. "We're done here. Next stop Liquor store." Zak headed to the parking lot and brought the car to the door. He sat in the cool air conditioning as Aaron, Nick, and Ariana loaded up the groceries. "Thanks for the help, Zak." Nick climbed in the back seat. "Anytime, man. Glad I could _be_ of help."

After the liquor store stop, they headed back to her house. Zak took command over the ribs and Arie started making the patties. She had them shaped and seasoned and ready to grill. She quickly washed her hands and went to her phone. "Okay if I invite a few people over?" Zak closed the oven to let the ribs slow cook. "How many is a few?" She smiled. "Only like four. I'm not going to invite all of Savannah, I promise." He nodded as she picked up the phone and dialed her sister's number. "Hello?" She rested her elbows on the counter. "Em, hey. It's me." She heard a noise in the background and then her sister again. "Hey what's up?" She looked at the clock. It read 4:00. "Well here in a few hours I'm having a cook out. I've got enough food to feed an army. Do you want to come?" She heard her sister sigh on the other end. "Is Keith going to be there?" She felt a sense of dread with his name. "No. He and I are done._" _She looked over to Zak who was trying to crash Nick and Aaron's game by filming their faces while they played. "There is a new guy though. And he's good. I don't mean brainwashed-Keith-good. I mean...really good." A moment of silence passed on the phone. "I'll be there. Do you want me to call Gina and ask her too?" She looked at her list of people. "Yeah. Haven't seen my sisters in a while. Both of you come."

"Okay. Love you, bye." She heard her sister disconnect the line. She dialed Tonia's number and invited her and Matt as well. They both said they would be there. Zak came back in and pulled the ribs out of the oven and headed for the back yard. She followed him out and stood near by watching. "Are you master and commander of the grill?" He smirked at her and lit the grill. "You know it." She turned around and went back inside and started making her own version of Chatham Artillery Punch. Zak returned with the ribs and put them into the oven to keep warm. He then grabbed the burgers and headed back out. She heard the doorbell and walked to the front door. As she opened it, she saw her sisters. She smiled and ran to both of them, giving them a big hug. "Long time no see, sis. So you _promise_ Keith is gone? Done? Over? For sure?" Gina was the blabber mouth. Never shut up and always asked questions. "Yes, Gina. I am one hundred percent positive that he is kicked to the curb and already at the dump." They stepped inside the house and shut the door. Another knock came just as she was walking away. "Go out back and I'll be there in a sec." She turned around and opened the door to reveal an unfamiliar guy standing there. "Can I help you?" He looked confused, but like he was trying to work something out in his head. "I'm Billy. My friend Aaron called me and invited me to a cook out. Is this the right address?" She leaned back into the house. "Aaron! Come here please!" A few moments later, Aaron appeared and took the guy's hand, giving him a half hug. "What's up, man?" He turned to Arie. "Sorry, I thought Zak told you. This is Billy. He works with us and I invited him. Was that okay?" She smiled and let Billy in the door. Before she shut it, she saw Tonia and Matt starting up the stairs. "You guys are the last to arrive to the party. That's never like you." Tonia carried a bottle of wine and Matt struggled to keep up. "It was a long day at work. And the only remedy is going to be this bottle of deliciousness. Grab your glasses, girl. I need it." She smiled and closed the door behind Matt.

A loud scream came from out back. She ran through the living room and onto the back porch. "Oh my God. Jesus A..this is him!" She smiled. Good old Gina. Leave it up to her to get googly eyed when she saw a celebrity in her sister's home. Zak looked startled and kept his eyes on the burgers. "Gina..can I talk to you for a sec?" Her sister reluctantly nodded, but followed her back into the kitchen where Tonia was pouring two glasses of wine. She handed one to Arie and then headed for the back. "That's _Zak Bagans_." She nodded. "This I know." She took a gulp of her wine and watched her sister. "And he's in your home...why?" She set the glass down and refilled the little she had drank. "He wanted to interview me about Wormsloe Plantation. That's where they're doing their next lockdown. I agreed, we started hanging out, he convinced me to break up with Keith, we went on a date, kissed, took a nap together today, and now we're here. He wants me to go to the lockdown with them." Her sister's eyes were as wide as saucers. "And...?" She took another long drink. "And what?" Scoffing, her sister smacked her hands on the counter top. "And what did you say?" She raised her eyebrows at her sister."Really, Gina? Really? You think after I've gone through all of what I just told you that I would say no?" Her sister picked up a carrot stick off the vegetable tray. She bit into it and chewed it for a few minutes. "Well you better be glad you said yes. I'd have to kick your ass if you had told him no. I mean, come on, he's only the sexiest, most attractive guy that's had his eye on you in a while." She took another long drink, knowing at the rate she was going, she would have the bottle finished before Tonia. "Who's that?" Zak walked into the kitchen and she felt her cheeks start to turn red. "No one you know. Apart from the scream, you didn't really get to meet my sister. Zak this is Gina. Gina, Zak." She smiled broadly and held her hand out to him. "Hi. Nice to meet you." He nodded his head as he took her hand and shook it a little. "Arie, we're about ready to start chowing down. You want to help me grab the ribs and stuff?" She nodded. Her sister caught a look, telling her to go away. She made a beeline for the back door, leaving them alone. She pulled out a cutting board and an onion and sliced it in half. She chopped one half for the hot dogs, and started to slice rings for the burgers. "Zak, I'm really sorry she screamed in your face. I probably should have told her." She felt his arms go around her waist and his chest against her back. "It's fine. I have, actually, come up against worse before."

She put the chopped onions into a bowl and the sliced onions into a different bowl. She turned around and went to the sink and started washing her hands. As she dried them, she saw the guys going back and forth carrying out the food. Zak opened the cabinet and pulled out the barbeque sauce they had bought earlier. "Hey, Nick! Don't forget the Schtubbs!" He tossed the bottle to Nick, who caught it with ease. Everyone was fairly silent as they ate their food. "Zak, man, these burgers are for real delicious." He nodded in agreement. "I wish I could take the credit, but it was Arie." After they had finished eating, the guys started to make a fire in the grass so they could do s'mores. The girls stood drinking their wine and punch and watched. "I hope no one loses an eyebrow." Arie chuckled. "With these guys, it's hard to tell." Tonia draped an arm around her. "I'm just glad you finally left that asshat Keith and moved on to _far_ bigger and _far_ better things. Look at that man's arms." She gave a longing sigh. The other girls were now looking at Zak, and this made her jealous. "Guys, he's not an all you can eat buffet. Plus, he's mine. Or..at least I think he is. That part is still kind of foggy." Emily looked at her. "Did you guys do it yet?" Her eyes widened at the humiliating question. "Um, no, Emily. That wasn't exactly the first thing I was thinking of when I left Keith." She drank the last gulp of her punch with difficulty. The hard liquor had settled to the bottom, making her even more loopy. "Why did you leave Keith?" She opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off. "Because Zak told her to." She looked at Gina. "Sorry." Tonia laughed. "What exactly did he say to make you see the damn light, Arie? Cause to my knowledge, me and your entire family said everything under the blazing sun, but you were just so _oh so in love with Keith_ that you couldn't see straight." She laughed. "That wasn't love. That was syphilis of the brain. Which, thankfully, I've made a full recovery from. Zak basically made it well known that he saw right through the charade that I was trying to pull off. He saw me trying to cover for Keith's douche-bag-ism, he saw the controlling, the level of unhappiness I was at. And it ended with Keith slugging me in the eye when Zak had his back turned."

Tonia grabbed the wine bottle and poured the last of it into her cup. "I thought you needed it?" She tossed the bottle into the yard. "Trust me. You need it more." She smiled and took a drink, returning her gaze to the guys trying to light a solid piece of wood on fire. She smiled and shook her head. "They're totally helpless. We are never going to get smores done at this rate." She stood to help, but Tonia took her arm and pulled her back down into her chair. "No, just wait. I think it's starting to get a little hot to move." She looked over as the guys all took off their shirts. "What, are they going to break out into song now?" They all laughed and continued watching as the guys lit pieces of paper, sprayed lighter fluid, and did anything else possible to try to light the fire. Emily butted in. "Arie, what's with that big tattoo on Zak's back?" She thought for a moment, not really knowing why he had it. Or why he had any of the other tattoos he had. "I don't know. I'll do some digging on that one." Zak was still standing with the guys, but looked over at the girls, and found Arie staring at him. He grinned and turned back around as Nick asked him a question. "Dude, what's going on with Arie and you? You get all excited when we talk about her. More so than the lockdown tomorrow night." He scratched his head. "I don't know, Nick. I like her. That's all." Matt walked up to Zak and clapped his shoulder. "Zak, the one main thing to know about Arie...she's a hopeless romantic. She believes in true love, guys bringing her flowers, asking her father for her hand in marriage, sending a text just for fuck's sake. That kind of stuff. These days, most guys would think she's expecting too much but until Keith came along, she had resolved not to settle for anything less than all the garbage." Zak nodded and took everything in. He looked at her again, but this time she was in conversation with the girls. A small smile spread across his lips, knowing he actually wanted to do those things for her. "Hell, yeah, dude!" Zak was jerked out of his thoughts when he looked down and saw Nick blowing on the small embers of what would soon be a good fire. "Time for dessert!" He yelled at the girls. He watched and noticed Arie was wobbly on her feet. He walked over and took her arm as he helped her to the chairs now surrounding the fire. The cicadas were screeching loudly as the sun big its last line of light over the horizon. She stuck a marshmallow on a stick and held it over the flames, slowly rotating it. "What are you doing?" She smiled. "I like mine browned. Not burned, not still white, just a nice, toasty brown." He smiled and shook his head as he popped a marshmallow into his mouth. Once dessert time turned into who could torch their marshmallow the worst, dessert was over.

Arie went inside and grabbed a few blankets before returning outside. She handed one to each girl and kept one for herself. She sat down and placed it over her legs as she leaned against Zak. Emily spoke up, ruining the silence. "Zak, what's you guys' most memorable investigation?" Arie rolled her eyes. "Emily, really? Do we have to badger them now? We can't just enjoy the quiet for a while?" She scoffed. "As if. My sister's boyfriend is on one of my favorite tv shows. I'm automatically given a 'ask all the questions I want' pass." She laid on the grass and closed her eyes. She felt embarrassed. Humiliated. She heard Zak start to talk and sat back up. "Well, I don't know about Billy, Nick, or Aaron, but by far my worst was Poveglia. I still hate to think about it. I just had this huge sensation of anger and hatred and everything was like in a red filter. And as soon as we walked out of there, it was like a veil lifted. Actually, that's why I've got this back tattoo. It's my interpretation of what I was taken over by at Poveglia." Arie looked at her sister. "Well, there's your answer." Her sister smiled a sweet smile. "Oh, but there's still one you never answered, Arie." She sent her sister a death glare. "Emily, DO NOT.." Emily blurted it out loud and quick, like a band aid. "Have you guys done it?!" She started laughing. "No, Em. Not that it's any of your business, or anyone else's here, but we have not." She stood up and stripped off the yellow shirt and slipped off her flip flops. She dove into the pool, enjoying the quiet of the water, if only for a minute. As she surfaced, she saw everyone else was stripping down to their swimsuit or just bran and underwear and jumping in. She quickly climbed out and ran for the back porch. She opened the cover and turned the lights on and turned on the radio, letting the music fill the back yard. She turned around to jump back in when she ran into someone. Zak stood on the edge of the pool, waiting. "Are you not getting back in, Zak?" He smiled and shook his head. "No. I just ate." She grinned as she placed her hands on her hips. "Haven't you heard that's a wive's tale?" Zak crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, tale or not, I believe it." She saw Nick and Aaron sneaking up behind him. Nick grabbed his arms and Aaron grabbed his legs and ran for the pool. They jumped in, taking Zak with them. He surfaced and sent a tidal wave towards both of them. Arie smiled and jumped in right next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are they picking on poor Zak?"

"Chicken!" She saw her sister, Gina, sitting on Matt's shoulders. She looked at Zak. "What do you say, you wanna support the chicken again?" He dunked under and came up holding her legs as she sat perched on his shoulders. "Okay, Rules: No bitch fighting. Means no smacking, clawing, pulling hair, et cetera. No splashing, legsweeping, or interfering with the chicken holders in any way! Let's fight!" Matt walked towards Zak as Gina reached out towards Arie. Arie grabbed her arms and they moved from side to side, trying to tilt the other off. Zak quickly backed away as he felt he was losing his balance. The fight was paused as Aaron felt he _had_ to do a cannon ball. Arie was running her fingers through Zak's wet hair as they watched Aaron run and slip on the board and fall in, resulting in a roar of laughter from everyone else in the pool. He tried again, resulting in a large splash that sent the water lapping over the sides of the pool. "Round 2. Let's go!" Arie took her hands from Zak's hair as Matt advanced with Gina again. She pushed Arie, trying to knock her backwards, but Arie grabbed her arm and they both were still up. She felt Zak jumping around beneath her. "Matt, cut it out, dude." She was focused on Gina, watching her hands coming at her, trying to dodge any losing grips. Suddenly she felt herself falling and saw the edge of the pool beneath her face. She hit her head and went under the water. Zak resurfaced, running his fingers through his hair, trying to get the water out of his face. "Matt, dude, the rules were no legsweeps!" He turned around to look for Arie but couldn't see her. He went under and saw her going down towards the bottom. He swam to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the surface. As soon as they got there, he saw a nasty cut on the side of her forehead. Aaron was still outside the pool, waiting to do another cannon ball. "Aaron, take her." Zak hauled her up over the edge and Aaron leaned down to her mouth, listening. "I think she's ok. She's breathing." Zak climbed out of the pool and picked her up, putting one arm under her knees and the other behind her head. He walked towards the back door and walked inside. As he climbed the stairs, he ignored the goosebumps on his skin from the air conditioning. He laid her down on towels on her bed before he got a wet wash cloth and started dabbing at the cut.

Nick walked in and set down behind Zak. Everyone was standing outside the door watching. Zak looked up and saw Matt standing there behind Tonia. He stood up and walked through the friends, straight for Matt. He reached out and shoved him as hard as he could into the wall behind him. "What's your fucking problem, man?" Matt's yells echoed in the empty silence. "My problem is we set out the damn rules before we started. And because you didn't listen, Arie's passed out on the damn bed. That's my fucking problem." He walked back into the room and asked Nick to leave. Everyone but her sisters, Nick and Aaron left. Zak laid down next to her on the bed, watching her, making sure her breath was still there. It had been 2 hours since everyone had left for the night. He reached over and gently touched her cheek. She flinched, rolled her head, and opened her eyes. "Zak?" He gave a small smile. "Hey." She reached up and touched her head. "What happened?" He was perched on his elbow, looking down into her eyes. "Matt hooked my legs in his and took me down. Unfortunately when I went down, so did you. From what Emily said, you caught the side of the pool." She slowly sat up and sighed. "So much for a good night." He jumped off the bed and walked over to her side. "Did you want to go somewhere?" She looked up and took his hand as she stood. "I want to go get in the hot tub. It'll make me feel better." He nodded and wrapped an arm around her back as he carefully led her down the stairs. Nick and Aaron were asleep, as well as Emily and Gina. They quietly left through the back door and she saw the lights still on in the pool. She turned them off and turned on the lights for the hot tub as they climbed in. The water felt scalding hot at first, but as she relaxed and got used to it, loved the hot water on her skin. Zak eased in next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder. "You didn't kick Matt's ass did you?" He chuckled. "No. I wanted to, though." She smiled and closed her eyes. "What are we?" She felt his head tilt. "What do you mean?" She slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes. "What are we? Friends, a pair, a couple? Just together?" She saw the light bulb blink on in his head. "It's...I don't know. I don't want to sound like a cheesy 8th grader and as you to _be_ my girlfriend." She smiled and laid her head back on the edge of the hot tub. "Well if you did, I'd say yes." She moved her hand back and forth in the warm water, just enjoying the feeling of how the water moved out of the way of her fingers. She felt her hand collide with his and he moved his fingers between hers. "You do know that now that Emily knows we're together, my mom and dad will find out next, right?" She felt him shift in the water and licked her lips. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No. But they'll want me to bring you to dinner, mom will make lasagna, they'll read you your rights, let you know that they have no respect for you and that you have to earn it from them." He laughed and she rolled her head over to look at him. "I'm serious, Zak. I wish I was kidding, but with my history of men, they're gun shy." He sat down between her legs on the lower level of the hot tub. "If I have to go through them to get to you, I will, I guess." She laughed. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" He turned around and was face to face with her, looking into her blue eyes. "It means that I like you. You make me laugh, you're fun to be around, you fit in with Nick and Aaron, they both like you. They know me better than anyone, and if they like you, and don't say anything bad to me about you, which they would, then you're probably a good thing." She smiled and leaned forward, planting a small kiss on his lips. "You're sweet." He grinned at her and stood up. "No. I'm tired. I wanted to go to sleep but I was worried about you. What do you say we get you out of this hot tub, get you a shower and get to bed?" He reached his hand out to her, and she took it to stand up. He climbed out first and helped her to the ground. They walked inside after he cut the lights and locked the back door. She leaned against the wall as Zak followed her from behind. She turned into the bathroom and stopped at the sink. "I think I can take it from here." He nodded and started to close the door. "I'll sleep on the couch. Your sisters are sharing the gust bed and the guys are on the floor." She took his hand and stopped him. "Zak. I'm pretty sure we're both capable of sleeping in the same bed without fucking like rabbits. You're staying with me." Once more, he nodded, then closed the door behind him. She quickly stripped out of her bathing suit and got into the shower long enough to rise off and wash her hair. She climbed out and towel dried her hair before slipping into the bedroom and dressing in her closet. When she came out, the shower was running again. She sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the television, flipping through the channels, desperate for something to watch. She settled on an episode of Family Guy that was just starting. Halfway through, Zak emerged from the bathroom wearing his boxers and a towel hung around his neck. She could see the bathroom perfectly from where she sat. He put the towel on his head and ran it rapidly all over, removing the excess water, before hanging it over the shower rod. He shut off the light and came into the dark bedroom and found his way to the opposite side of the bed. She smiled as he crawled in and got under the covers. She laid the remote on the night stand and crawled next to him, already finding comfort and warmth by his side. She laid her head on the pillow and looked across at Zak as he looked back at her. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him close, giving him a kiss. As they parted, she smiled. "Night, Zak." She rolled over and sighed. He scooted forward and soon she felt his chest burying into her back and his arm wrapping around her waist. "Sleep good, Arie."

**I have literally been working on this all day. I hope you enjoy and if you are reading, please respond with a comment. Even a word. More. Love. Whatever..just let me know I'm not writing this in vain lol **

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE **besides Ariana.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize in the lack of updates on this story. I still love Zak. lol I've just had alot of stuff going on, divorces, my ex getting engaged to the girl he cheated on me with before our divorce was final, and my little boy, work. But, hey. That's life! lol I've really been thinking hard and long about where to take it from here with Arie and Zak, and I think I might have my mind made up. After all, this is my alternate reality where I don't have to deal with anyone that's in my real life. I own nothing!**

Ari awoke the next morning feeling better than she should have. After looking at the clock and seeing it was 6, she rolled back over to find Zak sound asleep. She rested her head against him and fell back into a deep sleep. The next time she woke, she found Zak was gone and it was three hours later. She heard voices downstairs and felt a small amount of peace when she realized it was just the guys. She smelled bacon and climbed out of bed, going to her closet. She selected a pair of white shorts, a teal tank top with big grey flowers and a pair of teal and white slingback sandals. She twisted her hair into a messy but and wrapped a hair tie around it before going to the bathroom. She quickly did her makeup and headed downstairs to find Zak standing with his back to her and the radio playing. _I'll follow you down through eye of the storm, don't worry I'll_ keep_ you warm. I'll follow you down as we're passin through space, I don't care if we fall from gace. I'll follow you down._ He was at the stove and was engaged in making something. She stood and watched as he flipped the last of the pancakes. He turned and smiled when he saw her watching him. She finished coming down the stairs and poured a cup of coffee before having a seat at the table. "So, do you cook for everyone?" He chuckled as he set the meal on the table. "No, not just for anyone." She smiled into her cup as she took a long drink of the warm liquid. She stabbed two pancakes and moved them to her plate, adding some bacon, hashbrown casserole, and scrambled eggs. "Guys, the food's ready!" Zak took a step back from the table as Nick and Aaron bounded into the kitchen and to the table, filling their plates quickly. After they had all eaten what they wanted, Zak turned off the radio and returned to the table to fill his plate and sat down to join them.

Aaron paused between a mouthfull and a guzzle of orange juice. "So, Arie, how are you feeling? I know you hit your head pretty hard." She had just shoved a piece of bacon into her mouth and chewed as quickly as she could. "Yeah, I must have. I don't remember much of anything last night. But I think I'll be okay. Don't have a headache like I expected I would from the drinks, so I assume I'm ship shape." She smiled and cut off a bite of pancake, dribbling a little more syrup over them before popping it into her mouth. Nick was the next to speak. "So, Zak. Tomorrow is lockdown day. Do we have all the interviews, x cam locations, all that stuff ready to go when we get there?" Zak picked up his napkin and wiped his hands off while he finished chewing. "Yeah, I guess, man. I mean we've interviewed everyone who's willing to talk about this place. So I guess we're ready to go." Arie finished her food and carried her plate to the sink, rinsing it off and putting it into the dishwasher before turning back to the guys. "There is like two other people." Zak turned around in his chair to look at her, as did Nick and Aaron. The anticipation and wondering got the best of Aaron. "Who are they?" She walked forward and rested her elbows on the counter as she leaned over ontop of them. "My parents."

_All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better run better run...faster than my bullet.. _They drove down the highway, music blasting, sun shining, and everyone in a pretty good mood. _"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better run better run, faster than my bullet." _Aaron was loudly and obnoxiously singing from the backseat. Arie and Zak were in the front as they continued driving. Forty five minutes later, they pulled into the gravel driveway and slowly rolled towards the house. Her mom was sitting on the front porch, as usual, playing solitaire and drinking sweet tea. Aaron leaned between her and Zak. "Does she not have anything better to do?" She smiled and rolled her eyes. "She's retired. And don't say anything about her flowers. You won't get her to shut up." They all clambered out of the car and she walked infront of the guys towards her. "Hey momma." Her mom stood up and walked down from the porch, a big smile across her lips and her arms held wide open. "Ariana!" She wrapped her arms around her mom and they stood for a minute in a hug. When they finally pulled away, her dad walked out onto the front porch. "Hey daddy." He came down the stairs and hugged her, standing next to her with one arm wrapped around her as he stared at the guys and lit up a cigarette. "Mama, daddy, this is Zak, Nick, and Aaron. They are from that show Ghost Adventures." Her mom, in her typical fashion, walked up and hugged all three of them. "So nice to meet y'all. I'm Patty and this is Jake." Arie walked back over to Zak and took a deep breath as a small silence fell. "So, what brings y'all up here?" She licked her lips and took a step towards them. "We need you. We're going to be investigating the Wormsloe Plantation House." Her dad narrowed his eyes and looked like he had the wind kicked out of him. "Again? Ariana Michelle, I told you that place was bad in the first damn place. But you went anyways. So what did you get from that? Scratched, scared, and ridiculed. And now, you wanna go again?"

She sighed and fidgeted next to Zak. She felt like a two year old being scalded for some bad deed. "Daddy, Momma told me all about the time you two went out there. What happened. What you saw. We need to record you, telling the story. Please." He took another drag from his cigarette and flicked it to his side, into the yard. "Get inside." She smiled at Zak as Nick and Aaron went to grab the equipment from the car. Zak took initiative and walked towards the older man. "Sir, we really do appreciate you telling us your experiences." He held his hand out, and was met with one in return in a handshake. "Zak, right?" Zak smiled and nodded at her father. "Ariana's sister, Gina, told us all about you. And the other two. I just trust you'll take good care of her." His smile faded and he took a more serious tone to what was being said. "I promise I won't leave her alone, and I won't let anything happen to her." Her mother and father took a seat in the living room where the camera was set up. They sat on the love seat, while Zak sat in an arm chair next to them. "This is Patty and Jake. Our guest investigator, Ariana's parents. Could you please tell us what experience you had at the Wormsloe Plantation?" They both looked nervous, knowing it was to be put onto national, if not international, television.

Her dad was the first to speak. "Well, Patty and me, we headed up to the house one night during a raging thunderstorm. We were just in our twenties, goofing off, wasting time. When we got there, the garden room door was open, so we rushed inside and closed it behind us. We walked through the room and looked at all the plants and flowers, admiring them. Then we headed up the stairs. When we got to the attic, there wasn't anything out of place. It was what you'd expect an attic to be. We found an old couch and I'll just let that be. When we were fixing to leave, was when it really happened. We heard a crash, like glass breaking. I saw a few pieces shoot out from under the couch, so I walked around the wall towards that direction and that's when I saw this big, massive, dark figure just standing there." Zak took this moment to interrupt. "Now, Patty, did you see this too?" She nodded her head. "I did. Jake was just starin at it, and the whole time I was feeling this burning on the back of my thigh. After a few minutes, the dark thing disappeared and me and Jake high tailed it outta there." Zak nodded his head slowly, absorbing the story like a sponge would water. "Now why did you throw in about your leg burning?" Her dad took back over. "When we got together the next day, there was two scratches on her leg. And it looked like an upside down cross. Perfectly level with the ground, one line a little longer than the other. It scared the tar out of us. So we both decided to never go back there again."

After the interview, they loaded the equipment into the car and waited for Zak to finish speaking to her dad from inside the car. "Aaron, what do you think he's saying to Zak?" Arie propped her foot up on the dashboard and laid her head back. "I dunno dude, but seriously, it doesn't look too friendly." Both the guys giggled and hushed when he started back towards the car. He opened the door and got inside, turning the ignition and headed back to Ariana's house. "Guys, bring in the cameras, recorders, everything we'll need for tomorrow night. We've got to charge the batteries and the back up batteries. I have a feeling we'll lose alot of energy." They both obeyed and started lugging boxes and cameras into the house. She walked past Nick and into the living room where she sat on the couch, watching tv. Zak plopped down beside her. "You okay?" She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Just anticipating the investigation." He wrapped an arm around her and laid back on the couch, her head resting on him. "You and me both, Arie."

Their evening was quiet. They went out for a dinner on the river, swam a little bit, and then watched Paranormal Activity. Aaron and Nick ruined it with a popcorn fight, and Zak continued his discussion about how well of a movie it was. Everyone said goodnight to the other, then Zak and Arie headed to her room for some much needed rest for the upcoming investigation.

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**I know it's not insanely long or really great for an update, but I wanted to at least get SOMETHING up.**

**Song 1: I'll Follow You Down - Shinedown**

**Song 2: Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People**

**Like I said, I don't own anything or anyone except Ariana. Next chapter, swear to God, will be THE LOCKDOWN! I'm writing like three other fics at the moment, so if I get something mixed up or wrong, I sorry. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. R&R 3 :D  
**


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